The Christmas Song Book Tag

1. “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch”: Name a villainous character you couldn’t help but love.

Mr. Dark AKA the Illustrated Man, from Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. I had such a vision of him, thanks to Bradbury’s prose, of the veritable menagerie of monsters inked into his skin. In my imagination, he looks a bit like John Waters, albeit more wiry, and with a more sinister countenance.

2. “All I Want for Christmas is You”: Which book do you most hope to see under your Christmas tree?

No one buys me books. I don’t blame them. I usually read so many, that it’s hard to know what books to buy me. But if they did, I would hope someone would buy me The Book of Dust by Phillip Pullman. I’ve not gotten around to reading the first installment in his new series, even though it came out October 19th. In reality, I’ll probably just wait until my new Audible credits roll in and buy it myself.

3. “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”: Name a character that overcomes major obstacles and learns to believe in themselves.

Carrie White. A reminder that, when people believe in themselves, it does not always work out to the good.

4. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”: a) Which character do you think would be on the top of the naughty list? b) Which character do you think would be at the top of the nice list?

Naughty: Anton Chigurh from No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy. I love a principled villain, especially when those principles take them to extremes.

Nice: Mrs. Cormaci from the Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins. She is the most genuinely nice person that leaps to mind at the moment, someone who truly helps a family when their need is most desperate. She is, somehow, very believable. I feel as though I’ve known a Mrs. Cormaci, or simply wished I had.

5. “Frosty the Snowman”: Which book just melts your heart.

The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman. The ending…

6. “Feliz Navidad”: Choose a book that takes place in a country other than your own.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman.

7. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”: Which holiday themed book do you use to spread the Christmas joy?

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry.

8. “Sleigh Ride”: Which fictional character would you choose to spend the holidays with (doesn’t have to be a love interest!)

Death from The Sandman comics. She is perhaps the perkiest depiction of the personification of death that I have ever read, and I bet she’d be fun at a Christmas party. She’s also been around, for like, ever, and probably has a bunch of cool stories.

9. “Baby it’s Cold Outside”: Which book that you didn’t like would you sacrifice to a fire to warm yourself up in the cold?

Burning books… seriously? Ouch. Honestly, the book burning scenes from the Fahrenheit 451 movie adaptation make me a little queasy. I suppose it’d be cheating to ask for a crate of Chick Tracts? Heck, even those are good for a laugh.

10. “Do you hear what I hear”: Which book do you think everyone should read?

You Are Not So Smart by David McRaney.

I added a question. I’m not sorry.

11. “Father Christmas” by the Kinks: Which book was just mean, i.e. it made you ask the author “Why are you making me read this?” even though you couldn’t put it down?